Sikar, Jan 19 (AHN) Santosh Devi, hailed as Rajasthan's daughter, has made the residents of state swell with pride as she has been picked as one of the celebrated and distinguished participants of the Republic Day celebrations in the state capital, this year.

Santosh Devi, a native of Beri village in Sikar district, received the Republic Day invite for her special feat of growing pomegranate and apples in arid land, considered highly unsuitable for cultivation of crops and fruits.

The special invite to her has filled fellow villagers with pride and joy.

The invitation for attending the Republic Day celebrations came via post, and the news spread quickly throughout the region.

Santosh Devi accomplished the near impossible feat with her strong will and consistent endeavour.

Her experiments, particularly in pomegranate cultivation, earned her recognition not only in the district but also at the state level.

Her selection is being seen as a symbol of women's empowerment and respect for farmers.

Villagers and family members are congratulating her over this achievement.

Local residents say that this honour is a matter of pride for the entire region and will inspire other women farmers to move forward and innovate.

Santosh Devi, speaking to AHN, shared her happiness and said that she received the invitation from Rashtrapati Bhavan three days ago and has been excited since then.

She said that she feels that her 17 years of hard work and struggle have finally paid off.

Speaking about cultivating fruits in highly unfriendly circumstances, she said that she made it a point to practice chemical-free farming while growing pomegranates, apples, and guavas.

The pomegranates that she grew in her fields weigh up to 800 grams while apples weigh nearly 200 grams.

Santosh Devi says that women should not remain confined to the kitchen but should venture out and become self-reliant.

Today, her efforts have inspired thousands of women to earn their own livelihood through horticulture.

She is also actively involved in environmental conservation and, with the help of farmers, plants nearly 80,000 saplings every year.

On the use of chemicals in farming, she said that today the soil is getting poisoned and has a detrimental effect on crops and people's health.

She is also encouraging her son to earn a degree in Agriculture so that he can work alongside her and further develop farming enterprise in the future.

She said that she has disproved those who claim that farming is an unprofitable venture.

According to her, her husband's income was once only 3,000 rupees, while today she earns around 40,000 rupees from farming.

She also mentioned that in 2016-17, she received Rs 1 lakh award from the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and since then, she hasn't looked back.